January 14, 2022
Dear Friends,
We are well into the new year and I am still typing and writing 2021, so much for new year, new me! It’s just the same me, making things up as I go along. Ultimately, it is fine, especially based on what I have said in the past. As we move into the year, I was cautiously optimistic that maybe there could be changes in the world, from those dedicated to maybe trying to actually do their resolutions.
As a kid, I remember having the phrase “words matter” reinforced over the years and realize how important the phrase is. I am not going to go into the entire hypocrisy of us trying to tell our children/grandchildren to be better and not bully people and then turn around and go all out on someone in the anonymity of the digital world. As a society, we need to be better about it. As Catholics, if we believe what we do and what we have been called to do in our lives, we need to be even more aware of the fact. Our words, our actions need to mimic those of Christ.
To do this, sometimes I think we need to deepen our own relationship with Him. We need to have a better understanding of the basics of our own faith. This year, our diocese has decided to do a Year of the Eucharist. It is a year in which we, as Catholics, can deepen our understanding of that which we receive on a daily/weekly basis when we come to mass - the Eucharist, the Body of Christ. These two very important phrases matter. When we come to mass, a miracle happens. The bread on the altar is transubstantiated into the Body of Christ. The wine becomes the Blood of Christ. Yet, so often in talking to people, I need to do everything I can to not wince when people call it the bread or the wine. It is not what it is, when we receive it. Words matter.
Bread and wine take away the miracle that we ourselves have received. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is stripped away into something else by not understanding or acknowledging what we have just witnessed during the celebration of the mass. This year is a new year. Take some time to learn more about your faith. Throughout the year, we will be talking about the Year of the Eucharist. I will write about it in these letters and encourage you to find the right words, the words that matter when we receive that gift of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Our diocesan website has some great resources for the Year of the Eucharist. On the webpage are letters from our bishop as well as link to a teaching of Fulton Sheen on the Eucharist. Take some time and learn a little more of what it means to be Catholic and receive the Body of Christ.
God Bless,
Fr. Brian
In case the link does not work above, here is the actual full website. https://rcdop.org/year-of-the-eucharist